Snapcodes

Snapcodes are proprietary two-dimensional barcode images used by the social-media platform Snapchat to add friends, open web pages, unlock lenses and perform other in-app actions. Each Snapcode is a yellow square containing a central Ghostface Chillah logo ringed by black dots that encode a unique identifier. Scanning the image with the Snapchat camera triggers the associated action, avoiding the need to type usernames or URLs.^[1]

Snapcode
Classification
Type	Proprietary scannable code
v t e

History

Snapcodes debuted in Snapchat on 27 January 2015 alongside the Discover content hub.^[1] The feature was built on technology from Utah-based QR start-up Scan, Inc., which Snap had quietly acquired for about US$50–54 million in late 2014.^[2]

Within months Snapchat said “millions of Snapcodes are scanned each week,” reflecting rapid adoption.^[3]

Feature expansions

• Animated profile GIFs (September 2015): tapping a personal Snapcode lets a user record a looping five-frame selfie that replaces the ghost icon.^[4]
• Vector downloads (May 2015): users gained the option to export high-resolution SVG files of their Snapcode for posters and merchandise.^[3]
• Website Snapcodes (31 January 2017): Snapchat added custom codes that open any URL inside its in-app browser, a move The Verge said would put “Snapcodes everywhere” in advertising.^[5]
• Codes can also unlock hidden AR lenses, geofilters or Discover channels.^[3]

Design and technology

Snapcodes borrow the visual grammar of the QR code but use a proprietary dot pattern readable only by Snapchat. The central ghost cut-out can display a selfie or brand logo without affecting scannability. All decoding occurs on-device; Snap has not published the specification.

Usage and adoption

Acting as Snapchat’s equivalent of a follow button, Snapcodes are shared on social profiles, business cards, billboards and even concert screens. Brands such as McDonald’s and Coca-Cola have printed them on packaging. Wired credited Snapcodes with reviving mainstream interest in QR technology in the United States.^[6]

Influence

Competing services later introduced similar scannable profile codes, including Facebook Messenger, Instagram (Nametags) and Venmo.^[7]

Patents

Snap holds several United States patents covering the dot pattern and customization of Snapcodes, among them:

• US 9,111,164 – “Custom functional patterns for optical barcodes” (2015)^[8]
• US 9,911,073 – “Facial patterns for optical barcodes” (2018)

See also

• Scan (company)
• QR code
• Augmented reality